CNN announced that Jake Tapper will take over as anchor of “State of the Union” Friday, Nearly five months after Candy Crowley’s exit.
Tapper will begin hosting the Sunday public affairs program in June as the network continues to gear up for the 2016 election cycle. He will continue to host “The Lead” weekdays at 4 p.m.
CNN made the announcement Friday morning after auditioning a smattering of hosts since Crowley’s December departure, including Dana Bash, Gloria Borger, Jim Acosta and Jim Sciutto.
Tapper’s promotion comes a little more than two years after he joined the Turner network from ABC News following the 2012 election.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this election season and the new platform I will have at CNN to cover it,” Tapper said in a statement. “‘State Of The Union’ has a rich tradition and I hope to not only build on its history but expand the definition of what a Sunday show can be.”
“I am thrilled that Jake will take on this additional role at such a pivotal time in the election cycle,” CNN president Jeff Zucker said in a statement. “He has the perfect combination of skills that make him uniquely qualified — he’s a relentless reporter, a gifted storyteller, and a terrific interviewer who doesn’t stop until he gets answers. We are lucky to have him on both ‘The Lead’ and ‘State of the Union.'”
This is not Tapper’s first go-around hosting a Sunday show. Previously, Tapper was the interim host of ABC’s “This Week” in 2010 before Christiane Amanpour briefly took over the show.